Foley’s years-long effort to revive its historic commercial core picked up statewide recognition, with the nonprofit Foley Main Street taking home three honors at the recent Main Street Alabama conference: an Award of Excellence in Placemaking and Wayfinding, an Excellence in Historic Rehabilitation Award and the Alabama Main Street Reinvestment Award.
Organization representatives formally presented the awards to city officials at the September meeting of the Foley City Council.
Signs, QR Codes and a Restored 1925 Landmark
The placemaking award recognized a wayfinding initiative launched with city funding in 2020. Custom signs now guide visitors to downtown shops, restaurants and historic sites, each carrying a QR code that links to current information. The design process drew input from the Foley Historical Commission, the Beautification and Revitalization Committee and the city’s marketing staff.
The historic rehabilitation honor went to the restoration of the Foley Bakery Building, a 1925 structure that sat vacant after a 2007 fire. The city stabilized the building by replacing its roof before selling it to private owners Mark Wright and Jeremy Friedman, who renovated the property and later leased it to a restaurant. Foley Main Street chairman Wes Abrams called the project “a catalyst for economic activity and a source of community pride,” noting it also provided steady work for local carpenters and masons.
Public Dollars Leveraging Private Investment
The reinvestment award reflected the combined public-private push behind downtown’s turnaround. Since Foley Main Street was established in 2018, the city has put more than $7.4 million into downtown improvements while private investors have contributed roughly $16.4 million more — about two private dollars for every public one, Abrams said.
Mayor Ralph Hellmich credited executive director Darrelyn Dunmore and the organization’s board for the momentum, saying some two dozen businesses have relocated downtown in recent years and that vacant buildings have become hard to find. At the same council meeting, the group also presented its Main Street Hero Award to longtime volunteer Deborah Mixon for her service on city boards and hands-on work at community events.